1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices which protect vehicle windshields from the accumulation of ice and snow and more particularly to a foldable shield designed to overlie a windshield exterior to facilitate removal of ice and snow therefrom to permit use of a vehicle with resulting clear windshield visibility.
2. Background Art
Those who reside in or travel through regions which experience cold winters, are well aware of the inconvenience of having to clear a vehicle's windshield of accumulated ice and snow before the vehicle can be driven. This problem is particularly difficult on freezing mornings after a night of rain or sleet has left a thick coating of ice on the external surface on a vehicle's windshield. Typically, it is necessary to use one or more special tools to scrape and chip away such ice coatings before the visibility through the windshield can be made sufficiently clear to permit a vehicle operator to drive the vehicle safely. It would be extremely useful to provide an apparatus which obviates such an inconvenience such as by preventing the accumulation of ice and snow on a windshield.
There are prior art patents which disclose such an apparatus. By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,599,066 to Osborn discloses a windshield cover that is secured by suction cups to protect against rain, snow and freezing action. U.S. Pat. No. 2,690,928 to Boynes discloses a windshield cover to protect against the accumulation of sleet, ice and snow. U.S. Pat. No. 3,046,048 to Cheney discloses a windshield cover comprising plastic sheets held in place by magnets. U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,156 to Lundberg discloses a windshield protector formed of a layer of polyethylene to protect against frost and snow and having wings to be secured within the vehicle by the vehicle doors. U.S. Pat. No. 5,615,923 to Madison discloses a windshield cover secured by Velcro and having buckled straps to secure it from theft.
All such devices should preferably be light, low cost, foldable, relatively easy to deploy on a windshield and to stow when not in use, resistant to theft as well as to wind, and most importantly, should be easy to remove from a windshield even after several days of use in a wet, cold, icy environment. Moreover, it should be made of a material which will not be frozen to a windshield or from which snow or ice would adhere and thus be difficult to remove. The requirement for a light weight and foldable device, makes any solid material unsuitable. The requirement for a wind and theft resistant device makes the use of fabric-only designs unsuitable because they would be easily stolen with even securing belts being susceptible to being cut or torn. The requirement for being resistant to being frozen to the windshield or to resist being adhered to ice or snow, makes most known materials, whether solid or fabric, unsuitable for use in such windshield protection devices.
Based upon the foregoing, it is believed that none of the aforementioned prior art issued patents describes a windshield cover which meets all of the stated requirements. Therefore, there appears to still be a need for a windshield cover which meets all of the indicated objectives in a commercially viable product which can be readily manufactured and marketed at a reasonable price.